


Healing

by tjdwxyne



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Angst, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda fluff, Mugging, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 10:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21456580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjdwxyne/pseuds/tjdwxyne
Summary: “So Tim, how do you feel today?”⠀“Tired.”⠀“Why’s that, Tim?”⠀“They won’t stop talking. They always want me to do something for them. They want me to look good for photos and do everything they say. They keep controlling me, and..and that makes me tired.”⠀“Who’s making you tired Tim?”⠀“My parents.”⠀“Jack and Janet?”⠀“Joker and Harley.”
Relationships: Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	Healing

Being a vigilante came with many costs. One of them was constantly having injuries, which more often than not resulted in scars.  
Tim knew what he threw himself into when he became Robin - when he forced himself into the position, it was never his, he was never chosen - but he hadn’t hesitated once.  
⠀⠀  
Tim had quickly learned that there was nothing, except make up, that could remove his scars.  
Though, that didn’t stop him from currently trying to rip his skin off.  
⠀⠀  
He stood in front of the mirror, watching as he dragged his nails over his temples. He already had light scrapes, though it hadn’t even gathered enough blood for it to start trickle down the side of his head.  
⠀⠀  
While Tim had come to terms with most of his scars, he despised the ones that the Joker had inflicted him. The ones on each side of his temple from the electro shock therapy was the worst.  
⠀⠀  
Those reminded him how messed up he’d been. How he’d been manipulated to become a mini version of the joker. ⠀⠀  
⠀⠀  
of how he’d killed the villain.  
⠀⠀  
Tim forced himself to lower his hands and took a deep breath.  
He wasn’t supposed to do this, he reminded himself. He’d gotten better; he didn’t even hear the lunatics laughter in his head anymore.  
⠀⠀  
Tim slowly turned the sink on and cupped his hands, filling them up with water before splashing it in his face. He rubbed his wet fingers over the light scraps before he leaned back again and grabbed a towel.  
⠀⠀  
He needed to call Bruce. Or Dick.  
⠀⠀  
Tim wasn’t living with Bruce anymore.  
He hadn’t been living with Bruce before he was kidnapped, and after Tim had healed, Bruce never offered him to stay, and Tim never asked.  
⠀⠀  
Still, Bruce had told Tim that he could always call if something happened.  
⠀⠀  
Tim spent almost fifteen minutes looking for his phone. He barely used it any more, so he never had it on him.  
⠀⠀  
The first time Tim called the line was busy.  
So he sat down on the couch and just waited. For a brief moment he considered calling Dick, but he knew he was working right now, and he didn’t wanted to bother him.  
⠀⠀  
When he thought about it, Bruce was probably working right now as well.  
It wasn’t weird that Bruce didn’t pick up. He couldn’t always put Tim’s needs first, no matter how much Tim wished he did it.  
⠀⠀  
Ten minutes later and Tim’s phone started to vibrate. He hesitated for a moment before he picked up, placing the microphone against his ear.  
⠀⠀  
“Hey,”  
⠀⠀  
“Hi Tim, how are you?”  
⠀⠀  
The sound of Bruce’s voice immediately made him calm, despite if only the slightest.  
⠀⠀  
“I..I can’t..I keep thinking about him. I don’t..I don’t feel that okay right now,” he admitted. There was no point in lying now as he’d already called Bruce plus..he was after help.  
⠀⠀  
On the other side of the line he could hear all the background noise disappearing. Bruce must’ve walked into his office.  
⠀⠀  
“Have you hurt yourself?”  
⠀⠀  
“Light scratches around my temples; nothing major.” ⠀⠀  
⠀⠀  
“I see..” the line went silent for almost a whole minute. “How about you go out for once,” Bruce suggested in a light tone.  
“Some fresh air and sun light will be good for you, and you can use that as an opportunity to practice some of the anxiety reducing tasks you read about.”  
⠀⠀  
Tim stayed silent until he realized Bruce was saying more. “Okay, Thank you,” he said quietly. He knitted his eyebrows together and cleared his throat before he repeated himself a bit louder.  
⠀⠀  
“Oh, and Tim. How about you come over for dinner tonight? Dick is in town, and he wanted us all to gather,” Bruce spoke up after another few moments with just awkward silence.  
⠀⠀  
Tim chewed on his lip. If he ate at the manor, that meant he would have to face Damian, and Tim wasn’t sure if he was ready to confront him yet.  
⠀⠀  
It was pretty stupid; Tim was six years older than that brat, and he had to be mentally prepared before he spoke to him.  
“I’ll text you if I’m free,” Tim answered lightly.  
He didn’t give Bruce a chance to reply before he hung up.  
⠀  
Twenty minutes later Tim walked out of his apartment. He needed to distract himself somehow, and Bruce’s suggestion had been a good one.  
⠀  
It had been a long time since Tim had attempted to go out on patrol. He had tried a year after the incident, but the third night out he’d been doused with Scarecrows fear gas.  
⠀  
He’d hung up the cape after that.  
⠀  
Tim stuffed his hands in his pocket and adverted his eyes down as he walked so that he wouldn’t end up in some awkward eye contact with a stranger.  
⠀  
The fresh air helped him clear his head, and he felt his breathing go easier.  
⠀  
That was until a hand grabbed the side of his hoodie and dragged him into an alley. He didn’t even get time to make a sound before he was slammed up against a wall and the air was knocked out of him.  
⠀  
Tim was about to simply break out of the pin when he felt cool metal press against the middle of his forehead.  
⠀  
His breath immediately picked up and his eyes went wide. He stared right into the eyes of the criminal that had grabbed him, and fear was evident in his eyes. ⠀  
⠀  
Tim could see the persons lips move, but everything he heard was a ringing in his ears which deafened every other sound.  
Memories flashed through his mind, and he felt nauseous.  
⠀  
Tim was shook harshly before he felt a hand on his body, slipping into his pockets, pulling out everything that was inside of them.  
⠀  
— and Tim did nothing. He just stood there, frozen in fear.  
⠀  
The criminal took advantage of Tim’s state, and ran away with everything Tim had that was worth something.  
⠀  
⠀  
⠀  
⠀  
Tim didn’t know for how long he stood there, but the memory of himself pulling the trigger just went on and on in his head.  
⠀  
Returning to his apartment again proved to be a difficult task. Tim was shaking really badly, and despite attempting to just breathe and calm himself down, he just felt awful.  
⠀  
But he would go to the family dinner.  
Tim balled his hands to fists.  
He would go out, and tomorrow he would try again.  
⠀⠀


End file.
